Mouthpiece for saxophones



June 23, 1925. 1,543,294

- J. J. NEUMANN IOU'I'HPIECE FOR SAXOPHONES Filed Aug. 10. 1923 PatentedJune 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,543,294 PATENT OFF-ICE.

JULIUS J. NEUMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOUTHPIECE FOR SAXOPHONES.

Application filed August 10, 1923.

To all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that I, JULIUS J. NE MANN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago,county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces forSaxophones; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fu ll,clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the ac companyingdrawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mouthpieces for saxophones,clarioncts and like musical instruments and consists 'of the mattershereinafter described and more (particularly pointed out in the appendeclaims.

One of the ob'ects of the present invention is to provi e a simple andimproved means for positively holding the reed in position upon itsbase, in sucha manner as to eliminate the warping of the reed.

- Another object of the invention is to providew an improved reed holderwhich will permit of a ready removal, replacement and adjustment of thereed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector for thereed, which is so mounted on the mouthpiece, that said protector may bequickly moved from a position covering the reed, toa position uncoveriug the. same for playing, without removing the protector rom themouthpiece. hese objects of the invention, as well as the manyadvantages thereof will more fully appear as I tion.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the mouthpiece ofa saxophone. clarionet, or the like instrument embodying my invention. I

proceed with my specifica- Fig. 3 1s a longitudinal vertical sectionalView through the mouthpiece on an enlarged scale. I 7

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views through the mouthpiece as takenon the lines 44 and 5-5 respectively of F ig. 3.

u l Fig. 18 a perspective view of ahouslng member and reed clampingplate carried thereby,embodied in my inventiomas the Serial No. 656,681.

same appears when removed from the mouthpiece.

. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a reed protector, as the same appearswhen removed from the. mouthpiece.

Referring nowto that embodiment of'thc I surface is made flat at therear as at 13 to provide a base against which the reed is supported. 14indicatesthe bevelled tip of the mouthpiece. In the bevelled art of thetip is rovided a yielding .pa 7 15 prefer ably 0 rubber, which providesa grip for the teethand absorbs and, relieves the reed vibrationtherefrom. Said pad is seated in recess, open at each side of themouth-- piece and provided by transversely extend= ing, overhangingflanges 16. It is secured in place by shellac, 5.) c

The bottom part of the mouthpiece is formed at each side of the rearflat end part 13 of the lay surface with longitudinal parallel faces 17(see Fig.4) which extend substantiall at right angles to said laysurface. A ongitudinal groove 18 is cut into the body of the mouthpiecealong the top of each of said faces 17.

19 indicates a housing for the butt end of the reed. As shown in Fig..6, said housing is made of sheet metal and is in the form of a channelhaving a transversely curved or arched bottom wall 20 and side walls 21,each of which terminates in .an inturned flange 22. The flanged marginsof the side walls 21 of the housing are normally sprung inwardly towardeach other and when the housing is in position upon the mouthpiece body,the flanges 22 will engage in the grooves 18 and will exert a yieldingpressure to fit tightly in position, with the arched bottom wall spaceda distance below the flattened end part 13 of the lay surface. The

housing is locked to the mouthpiece by means of a set screw 23 which isthreaded through an aperture in one of the side walls 21 to extend intoa recess 24 in the associated shoulder '17 (see Figure 4). The housing19 so (See Figures 1, 3 and may be readily engaged upon or disengagedfrom the mouthpiece body 10 by sliding it thereon from the rear end ofthe lay sur face-the iia ges being first engaged within the g1 eyes 18on the mouthpiece. \Vhen thus applying the housin its forward moyement(to aids the tip 1%) will be limited by shoulders 10. 10 at the forwardends 0" the grooves 18. said shoulders having a de niite relation to theposition of the recess 2%. so that when the housing is arrested byengagen'ient with the boulders, the set screw is in line to engage therecess El. Said aperture in said side *all 21 is arranged near the rearend of the housing and is termed by upsetting a part of said side wallto provide an outwardly extending, interiorly threaded boss 25. In linewith said boss on the other side wall 21 is provided a similar boss 2(.In both of the side walls 21, about midway between the ends of thehousing, are provided outwardly extending lugs 27 which are also formedby depressing a part of said walls outwardly. The purpose of said lugswill ap )ear later. 28 indicates an outwardly extending boss termed onthe median line of the arched bottom wall 20 of the housing 19, midwayoetween its ends. In said boss is anchored in any suitable n'ianner, aninteriorly threaded sleeve 29 to receive a clamp screw 30 (see Figure23). Thatend of said screw within the housing has a swiyelled connectionwith a clamping plate and that end of '.d rew without the hous has ahead I32. which is milled out as at i (see Fig. 3) to provide an annularrecess into which the outer end of the boss 28 may extend. In thismanner the boss 28 may be made substantially deep to provide icientlength of threads for the screw ill) without the necessity of having thehead 32 thereof project too far outwardly from the housing The clamp scino as is apparent. does not engage the butt end of the reed directl actsof the clamp between the 5.1 1i :ills of the housing and to engage therounded butt end ol :eed. When the St) is loosened it wi l by reason itsswiyelling connec .on with the clamping plate. dislodge and draw theclamping plate from its enga 'ement with the reed and break anyconnccton or adhesion between the reed and clamping plate due tomoisture acquired in the playing of the in strument to which themouthpiece is attached. The clamping plate is also rounded or archedtransversely to lit the outer surface of the butt of the reed and willthus apply an even pressure which extends equally over the whole baseagainst which the reed is seated. It is apparent from the foregoing thatthe reed may be removed and replaced with certainty and precision.

The reed which usually made of ban1- boo, is easily injured, and thisoccurs most frequently when the instrument is not in use. A con'nnonpractice is to slip a cap or hood of hard rubber over the tip end of themouthpiece, which ca or hood is removed before playing and is t iusofttimes misplaced or broken. To overcome these disadvantages I providea cap or hood which is so secured to the housing 19 that it may be movedfrom a position wherein it covers and protects the tip end of the reedagainst injury when the instrument is not in use (as shown in dottedlines in Figure l and in full lines in Figure 2), to a position where ituncovers the same for playing as shown in full lines in Figure 1), thesaid cap or hood when in the second mentioned position, being entirelyout of the way and in no manner preventing full freedom during saidplaying.

The improved protecting cap or hood comprises a channel shaped member 33(see Fig. which includes an arched bottom wall or web 3st and side wallsor flanges 35, At one end of the cap or hood, is an end wall 33 whichconnects the side walls together. At the other end of the cap or hoodthe side flanges 35 are extended beyond the arched bottom wall to formlaterally spaced arms 37. 37, the free ends of which are offset inwardlytoward each other. The free ends of said arms are provided withapertures 3 35? as shown in Fig. and said apertures are adapted toregister with the threaded apertures formed .in the bosses 2:) and I; Sin said housing side walls, said apertures being of such diameter as toreceive said bosses. A screw 3!) which is threaded into the boss 26 onone of the housing side walls, holds one of the arms 37 in place whilethe screw 23 before mentioned, which loclcs the housing 1.), holds theother arm 37 in place.

ho sing side walls 21..

hen the hood is in its normal reed protecting position. as when theinstrument is not in us the notches 4:1 in the arms of the protectorengage the lugs 27 on the housing, the parts being locked together bytightening up the clamp screw 23. Under such conditions, the end wall 36of the hood is spaced a short distance ahead of the tip of the reed (seeFigure 2) and the arched bottom wall 34 is arranged in the )lane of thesimilar wall of th housing 19 see Fig ui-e l \Vhen it is desired to playthe instrrnnenu the clamp screw 23 is loosened d th h od i wungdownwardly and rearwardly into the position shown in full lines lllo inFig. 1 after which the clamp screw 23 is and a radially disposedclamping screw tightened to hold the hood in this position. It isapparent that the protector is not removed from the mouthpiece but ispivoted thereto so that it may instantly be moved out of the way forplaying, but it cannot be removed from the mouthpiece body with theusual displaoment or breakage.

While in describing my invention I have referred to certain details ofmechanical construction and arrangement of parts, I do not wish to belimited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with the mouthpiece body of a musical instrumenthaving a flat lay surface for a reed and having longitudinally parallelfaces at each side of said 'lay surface, a housing to receive the buttend of said reed, said housing having side walls adapted for engagementwith said faces, means for securing said housing directly to themouthpiece with its side walls against said faces, a clamping plate insaid housing for engaging said butt end of the reed to hold it againstthe lay surface, and means extending through the bottom wall of saidhousing for operating said clamping plate.

2. In combination with the mouthpiece body of a musical instrumenthaving a lay surface for a reed, a housing on said body to receive thebutt end of saidreed, said housing including a thin sheet metal bottomwall having a radially disposed, tubular projection, an interiorlythreaded sleeve anchored in said projection, a clamping plate in saidhousing for engaging said butt end of the reed to hold it against thelay surface, and a screw engagcd in said sleeve and having a swivellingconnection at one end with said clamping plate and having a head on theother end without the housing. 3. In combination with the mouthpiece bodof a musical instrument havin a lay sur ace for a need, a housing onsaid body to receive the butt end of said reed, said body and housinghaving a 'coacting flange and groove engagement, a clamping plate insaid housing for engaging said butt end of said reed to hold it againstthe lay surface, and a radially disposed clamping screw thread "dthrough the housing and having a swivelling connection with saidclamping plate.

4. In combination with the mouthpiece bod of a musical instrument havinga lay sur ace for a reed, a housing 011 said body to receive the buttend of said reed, said body and housing having a coacting flange andgroove engagement, a m'mber carried by said housing and adapted to entera recess in the mouthpiece body for locking said. housing to said body,a clamping plate in said housing for engaging said butt end of said reedto hold it against the lay surface,

threaded through the housing and having a swivelling connection withsaid clamping plate, t a

5. In combination with the mouthpiece body of a musical instrumenthaving a lay surface for a reed, a housing on said body to receive thebutt and of said reed, said housing having atransversely curved bottomwall and two substantially parallel side walls, each of which includesan inturned flange adapted to engage in grooves provided therefor insaid body, a clamping plate in said housing for engaging said butt endof said reed to hold it against the lay surface, and a radially disposedclamping screw threaded through the housin and having a swivellingconnection wit the clamping plate.

6. In combination with the mouthplece body of a musical instrumenthaving a lay surface for a reed, a housing on said body to receive thebutt end of said reed, said housing having a transversely curved bottomwall and two substantially parallel, s de walls, means inv saidhousingfor engaging said butt end of the reed to hold it against the laysurface, and a protector for the tip end of said reed including spacedarms, means providing a pivotal connection for said arms with the sidewalls of said housing whereby said protector hood may be swung from aposition covering said tip end of the playing.

7. In combination with the mouthpiece body of a musical instrumenthaving a lay surface for a reed, a housing on said body to receive thebutt end of said reed, said housing having a transversely curved bottomwall and two substantially parallel side walls, means in said housingfor engaging said butt end of the reed to hold it against the laysurface, and a protector for the tip and of said reed including spacedarms, screws providing a pivotal connection for said arms with the sidewalls of the housing whereby said protector hood may be swung from aposition covering said tip end of the reed to a position uncovering thesame for playing, one of said screws being capable of being actuated tolock the housing on said mouthpiece body and to lock said protector hoodin either of its before mentioned positions. I

8. The combination with the mouthpiece body. of a musical instrumenthaving a lay surface for a reed, a housing on said body to receive thebutt end of said reed, said housing having a transversely curved bottomwall and two substantially parallel side reed to a position uncoveringthe same for walls, each of which has an outwardly ex- 7 and providing apivotal engagement for said protector hood arms with said hous- Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 my invention, I afiix mysignature in the ing, so that said protector hood may be presence of twowitnesses, this 6th day of swung from a position covering said tip endof the reed to a position uncovering the same for playing, said lugs onsaid housing side walls acting as stops for said arms to determine theposition of said hood when covering said tip end of the reed.

August, A. D. 1023.

JULIUS J. NEUMANN.

Vitnesses CLARENCE E. MRI-Inflow, T. H. ALFnEns.

